Out of the Mouths of Brits, Volume I

Something that has fascinated me since I first set foot on British soil are the differences in American-English and English-English. There are all sorts of different words for words I'm used to, and different names for things. So, I thought I'd start keeping track of some of these and share them with you. I'll be doing a few of these from time to time, especially whenever I hear something that makes me laugh. And oh, do the Brits make me laugh. Here goes.

image from randomrockers.wikia.com

Chips/French Fries
First off, we call these french fries. The Brits call them chips. It makes total sense, really. Especially when Mick explains it to me. Not all 'fries' are fried. Plenty of them are baked, and we don't call them 'bakes,' now, do we? Alright, I can get on board with that. 'Chips' it is then.

image from allthingsjennifer.wordpress.com

Chips/Crisps
Next, we call these 'chips' but here they are 'crisps' which I can also get behind because, yes, they're crispy. But this is only for potato based 'crisps.' If they're made from corn (like Doritos or Tostitos) they're nachos. Even if there's no cheese on them. That one I can't get behind, it should be corn crisp. Or something. 

Pudding
Also, to us Americans, pudding is something very particular. A thick almost saucy substance made from a Jell-O box. Here, 'pudding' is what they usually call 'dessert.' The word dessert of course exists and is commonly used, but so is pudding.

Blatant: Used for what we would call "obviously." For instance, in America if we saw someone who was, say, very tan. You would say to your friend
"Looks like someone hits the tanning bed."
"Obviously."
Here, the reply would be "blatantly." This has taken me a while to get used to. Mick says it all the time and at first I didn't like it but sure enough, I'm saying it now :/ I tend to pick things up that other people say around me really easily.

Have a Butcher's:
Commonly said for "have a look." Now, this goes deeper than just the differences between American and English. In England there's something known as rhyming slang. Mick (with the help of the classic TV series Only Fools and Horses) has taught me a bit of this. Rhyming Slang began in London when crooks would talk to one another. It was a sort of code language so that nobody (police) would know what bad things they were up to. This is all a Cockney thing. Now, what's a Cockney? A Cockney is someone born within the sound of Bow Bells. (St Mary-le-Bow Church in Cheapside, London). It's a specific area of London. So, "Butcher's hook" rhymes with "look" so to "have a butcher" means to "have a look." There are loads of other things, it's like an entire language. Here are a few more:
Loaf of bread: Head (Mick's dad would always tell him as a kid to "use his loaf" ie. "use his head")
North and south: Mouth
Mince pies: eyes
Barnet fair: hair
Apples and pears: stairs
New Delhi: stomach (belly)
Pork pies: lies
The list goes on and on, like I said, it's like an entire language. You can learn more about it here.

Cheeky: Smart ass

Dodgy: Not to be trusted, shady

You alright/alright?
This one always threw me off at first. Commonly, in America, someone only asks you if you're alright if you seem upset, look down, are moody, etc. Every time Mick and I would talk, going back years, he'd ask "you alright?" or "alright?" And I'd be all alert and ask "yeah why? What do you mean?" And he'd just shrug it off. After a little while he explained to me it was nothing more than asking something like "how's it going?" This one's very, very common.

Gutted: Really upset, crushed. Also very common.

Knackered: Really tired, exhausted.


Pants: Underwear. This caused a lot of confusion the first time Mick's mom asked if I needed any laundry done.

Right: Really or very. For instance "I'm right hungry."

Ring: Call. So you don't "call" someone on the phone. You "ring" them.

Row: (rhymes with cow) argument. "We had a row."


Bits and bobs: Odds and ends, this and that, etc

Sack: to get fired from your job.

Cushty: when everything is great, comfortable. As far as I know, this comes from Only Fools and Horses, which I've mentioned before. It's like the cornerstone of British television.

Smart: If someone is dressed nice but not really formal, they look smart. "Wear some smart trousers" etc.


Sorted: Fixed or solved. Often when Mick and I trying to figure something out (how we'll get somewhere, when we'll go somewhere, how we'll pay for something) and we decide he'll say "sorted." Not "good it's sorted." Just "sorted."

Tosser/wanker: Used when you want to insult someone and call them a jerk. Also has a more yucky sexual meaning, but mostly used for jerk.

Having a go: If you're "having a go" at someone it means you're laying into them, lecturing them, tearing them a new one, etc.

Proper: Slang again for really or very. For instance "oh that's proper messed up!" would mean "that's really messed up!" This one is used a TON!


Bollocks: Ok, this one technically means balls, like testicles, but it has many uses. You could say you were "kicked in the bollocks" or you can just use it as an expletive. For example "oh bollocks, I can't find my keys!" This one is one of my favorites, though I tend to just say "balls." It's a fun word and it makes me giggle. You can also say "that's a load of bollocks" if you think someone is BSing you. It's a good all around word.


Zed: Ohhh, this one confused me for a while! If you're talking about the alphabet, "zed" is how Brits say the letter "z." So, if you had someone spell out a word for you, like zebra, they wouldn't say "z-e-b-r-a" like we would in America. They'd say "zed-e-b-r-a." Stupid if you ask me. But whatever.

Okay, that's all of that for now. I'm sure I'll be coming up with more as I learn more. There are also products with funny names, which I wanted to include but I've gone and forgotten them. I thought it would be a good idea to post these, because at some point I'm sure I'll start to actually use these words as part of my everyday vocabulary and it will be good for you to be able to use this post as a reference. I've already started thinking with a British accent, though not talking with one. I guess it's because that's all I hear now. It's strange and a bit confusing because the voice in my head no longer really sounds like myself and when I think something before I say it, I feel like it comes out wrong because there's no accent when I say it! Weird!

Not much is going on the past couple days. I went with Laura (my to be sister in law) and her boyfriend Russ into Maidstone today while Mick stayed at home and did some work. We had a quick lunch then Russ went off to try and find Laura a birthday gift. Laura and I wandered around a department store looking dress ideas. I need something cute to wear for the Registry Wedding next month. We didn't find anything, just looking for some ideas. I want to wait until closer to the wedding because I think I might be able to drop a few pounds between now an then as it's so muggy and we walk everywhere so I'm sweating something fierce. Also, my appetite isn't what it used to be so I'm not eating quite so much. Yay! Time to get some of that new relationship weight off! Then Russ needed some help picking out a gift so he came and took me away. So we left Laura on her own for a few minutes and picked a couple things out. I'm glad Mick has a sister. Especially a nice one. It's a built in friend for me. It's really scary, you know, moving to a new place and leaving your friends and family. I'm just glad Mick has such a cool one (family) to share with me.

Tomorrow should be fun, we're going to the zoo and out to dinner for Laura's birthday. My first English zoo! I'll take pictures and hopefully it won't be so stinking yucky out. The weather itself isn't so hot, but it's reallllly humid, so I'm a bit unhappy. Today it's only about 80F but the humidity is really high, nearly 50%. It's supposed to rain soon, though, so that will help. Thank goodness!

By the way, here's a picture of the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone on the river. This is where we'll be getting married next month!

image from wikireadia.org.uk

Okay. That's all for now. My laptop is getting hot in my lap and making me even hotter.